Continuous roll basin insert

ABSTRACT

The invention is a filter mounted below a perforated grate cover ( 22 ) of a storm water inlet basin ( 20 ) suspended from a means of support, comprising inserted rigid bars ( 10 ) which rest upon at inlet cover support ( 28 ), which hold in position a catch basin insert comprising bar sleeves ( 6 ), storm water bypasses located in corners of the catch basin formed by vertical slit openings ( 12 ), and a bridge flap ( 2 ) which channels water above and over the bypass into the inside of a filter basket assembly ( 24 ) and the bag assembly is premanufactured in a continuous roll ( 14 ) and can be adapted to fit various catch basin sizes in the field on site.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] 1. Field of Invention

[0002] The present invention relates in general to storm water drainagesystems, and specifically to methods and apparatuses for filtering waterat storm water drain inlets. This invention pertains to a filter for useinside storm water inlet basins, beneath perforated covers such asperforated manhole receptacles and catch basins with grates. Storm watercollection systems are located throughout our city streets and parkinglots providing flood control and drainage. The storm water needs to beas free as possible from pollutants before it enters our natural watersystems.

[0003] To ensure that our water sources are protected our handling ofstorm water is becoming more regulated. In order to meet these concerns,many inventions have been patented that provide an anti pollution insertfor catch basins and manholes. Most of these inventions areunnecessarily expensive. The present invention pertains specifically tostorm water inlet basins with perforated top covers.

[0004] 2. Background Art

[0005] Caldwell (U.S. Pat. No. 1,310,055) develops a storm water deviceto strain out large debris such as sticks and leaves and allows them tobe broken up before passing down stream or be removed manually. Thisapparatus is ineffective in separating sand or small particulate such ascigarette filters from the storm water before flowing downstream fromthe opening.

[0006] A Levy (U.S. Pat. No. 1,746,121) and George F. Egan (U.S. Pat.No. 2,102,310) show a receptacle for mounting below a storm water inlet.The large basket is constructed of metal. It is heavy and very complex.This would be very expensive to manufacture. They both require largeequipment to install, and maintain.

[0007] F. Lane (U.S. Pat. No. 2,615,526) shows a basket mounted entirelybelow a catch basin grate. It comprises a ridged metal frame for thebasket, which is suspended from rods secured directly to the bottom ofthe grate. This would be very time consuming and awkward to install. Agrate is already heavy and hard to handle. The frame when attached tothe grate would be difficult to install without damaging the metalframe. Furthermore its complexity makes it expensive to manufacture.

[0008] Oscar S. Arntyr et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 4,419,232) shows a doublebasket mounted entirely beneath a storm drain opening with grate. Thedevice is unnecessarily complex. The initial top screen basket isunnecessary. It removes pollutants that would have been removed by thebelow second filter anyway. The second stage basket cannot be servicedor emptied by hand unless the whole frame is removed. The ridged framecannot be easily adapted to the various sizes of grates and theirangular distortions at typical installation sites. The frame with itsdescending circumference is unnecessarily complex and expensive tomanufacture. There is no provision for a by pass to accommodate highflows or filter failure.

[0009] Logue, Jr. (U.S. Pat. No. 5,575,925) and John F. Harris et al.(U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/769,212 Group Art unit 1724) showsa basket essentially below the grate of a drain opening. A substantialamount of the apparatus extends above the grate. This can be a traffichazard. They are exposed to wear and vandalism. They also do not have abypass provision. During high storm water flows and filter failure theywould back water up into the street.

[0010] Holly S McDermott (U.S. Pat. No. 6,045,691) shows a receptacleentirely below a storm water inlet with a perforated cover. Thereceptacle however is limited in pollutant storage capacity. There arefour separate baskets, one on each corner, which makes it, timeconsuming to service. They need to be manually emptied since they aretoo small for being serviced by a typical large street-vacuumingmachine. The fixed frame mounting does not easily adjust to the variousdistorted angles encountered in many rectangular storm water inletopenings at the installation sites. The drain basins are often out ofsquare or of slightly different measurements than anticipated. The frameis unnecessarily expensive to manufacture. The pollutant sock is smallin size and would quickly saturate. Invention in process of Ardle Pagepatent application Ser. No. 09/991,733 shows a basin insert mountedbellow a catch basin comprising four separate rigid pieces for mountingon catch basic grate ledges. This invention is dependent upon a metalbridge over the bypass opening adding unnecessary expense to the cost ofmanufacturing. The basin insert is supported on only two of the foursides. The horizontal bypass tends to allow large objects to floatovertop of the bypass and into the basin below. The bag needs to bepositioned a distance away from the flat walls of the basin sides inorder to provide adequate room for the water to pass between the basketand the basin walls.

[0011] The disadvantages of the prior art are as follows:

[0012] a) They have filter receptacles that are metal and too large andheavy to easily service by hand.

[0013] b) They have strainers with hydraulic openings that are too largeto filter out small particulate such as sand or gravel.

[0014] c) They require complex and awkward installation procedures.

[0015] d) When installed, they leave essential parts of the filterapparatus above the cover of the inlet basin where they are exposed tovandalism and can also pose a traffic hazard.

[0016] e) They do not have a functioning bypass for high water flows orfilter failure.

[0017] f) They do not have adequate storage for pollution particulate.

[0018] g) They are unnecessarily complex and expensive to manufacture,ship and install.

[0019] h) They do not easily adapt to specific requirements encounteredin the variety of inlet basin with their individual distortions.

[0020] i) They comprise a filter basket that must be premanufactured foreach different catch basin site.

OBJECTS AND ADVANTAGES

[0021] Accordingly, my invention provides a filter with a supportstructure and filter basket which is inexpensive to manufacture, easy toinstall, remove, or service and can be cut to size on the job site.Several objects and advantages of the present invention are to provide afilter:

[0022] a) with a support structure that is easy to install by handwithout the aid of power tools

[0023] b) with a support structure that is flexible at the corners andcan be easily trimmed by hand tools to fit unexpected resizing at theinstallation site;

[0024] c) with a support structure that is entirely beneath the inletcover and does not interfere with the normal flow of street trafficincluding street maintenance machinery such as snow plows;

[0025] d) that is essentially not subject to vandalism;

[0026] e) that essentially removes solid pollutants from storm waterbefore it passes out of the inlet basin and retains these pollutantsbeneath the perforated inlet cover and not is the street;

[0027] f) comprising a support structure and bag assembly that can serveeither as a temporary or a permanent Storm Water Pollution PreventionPlan;

[0028] g) with a filter comprising a support structure that can positionan absorbent medium for absorbing chemical pollutants such as hydrocarbons and oils;

[0029] h) that comprises a simple by-pass during high flows or a filterfailure such as when the openings of the filter basket are blocked andthe water cannot flow through the filter;

[0030] i) that has a support structure that comprises off the shelfitems such as angle iron or 1½″ galvanized steel strap;

[0031] j) that has a basin basket assembly materials that can bedelivered to the customer in one continuous from that he can cut thematerial to fit the basin at the job sight;

[0032] k) that has a basin basket assembly materials that can bedelivered to the customer in one continuous from that requires a simpleinventory;

[0033] l) that has a support a structure with a simple design which isinexpensive to manufacture;

[0034] m) that can be easily serviced by either emptying by hand orvacuuming by a street vacuuming machine;

[0035] n) with a filter basket that is easily attached or detached fromits support structure by means of enclosure of a portion of thestructure simply by sleeves that are formed in the bag assemblies'peripheral edges.

[0036] o) with a support structure that can support all four sides ofthe bag assembly.

[0037] There is a need for a catch basin insert with a simple bypassoverflow that can be formed from a continuous roll that can be fitted toany size in the field. For the foregoing reasons there is a need forsuch a catch basin insert.

SUMMERY OF THE INVENTION

[0038] The present invention comprises filter inserts that come all on acontinuous roll. The inserts can be cut to length and formed on site tofit any size filter basket in the field. Gathering the lower extremitiesof the filter material and tying it together forms the basket bottom.The ends of the filter fabric joins together at one corner of the catchbasin. An opening for a bypass is left in the upper portion of thisunion while lower section of the edge joins together. This by pass opensinto the corner of the catch basin. When a bag insert hangs from allfour edges inside a catch basin it tends to form a round shape. It is inthe corners that there is an ample space between the filter material andthe catch basin sides. The remaining length of filter fabric is cut tomatch the lengths of the three remaining corners of a rectangular catchbasin. These cuts also go through the sleeve and provide openings forinserting the support bars. A bridge flap coming off the sleeve issecured in a semi horizontal position by attaching it to itself in thecorners of the catch basin. The bridge flap channels the storm waterover the bypass openings and into the inside of the filter basket andonto an oil absorbent pillow. This prevents unfiltered water fromdropping through the bypasses. This provides service equal to any basininsert on the market. The cost of manufacturing the simple filter rolland four necessary bars would be inexpensive and easily automated at thefactory level. There would be only three basic parts the roll, flat barsand angle iron bars. The angle iron bars are used to span between twoledges when there are only two ledges in a catch basin.

[0039] The installers would have very few items to keep track of or sortbecause there would be no need to inventory different sizes of inserts.Installation would require the use of only a few hand tools such asscissors, stapler, and tin snips. What is novel is a multiple basininserts that have corner bypasses and come in a large roll and aresupported on four sides mounted entirely below a grate.

[0040] Accordingly the reader will see that this invention can be usedto remove pollutants from storm water within an inlet basin before thewater is released down stream from the basin. One can also see that itis economical to manufacture, inventory, install and service.Furthermore my invention for a stormwater inlet basin has the additionaladvantages and objects:

[0041] a) To provide a filter that easily installs and removes, by handwith simple tools;

[0042] b) To provide a filter with a support structure that moves easilywithin the cover support ledges so it can give room for the typicallyheavy inlet cover to pivot on one end during removal and replacementwithout serious damage;

[0043] c) To provide a filter, that is not a ridged frame, and so it caneasily lay into the occasional inlet that is out of square,

[0044] d) To provide a filter that has a support structure which isentirely inside the catch basin and raises the permeable cover less than{fraction (3/16)} inch and thus does not interfere with the normaltraffic flow of street vehicles or street maintenance equipment;

[0045] e) To provide a filter that easily cuts with simple hand toolsand fitted at the installation site when necessary;

[0046] f) To provide a filter that is entirely below the permeable coverand thus essentially impervious to vandalism;

[0047] g) To provide a filter that requires no need for attachments tothe permeable basin cover h) which would make the already heavy covers'removal and handling more difficult;

[0048] h) To provide a filter that permits many types of filtermaterials to be easily interchanged for various degrees of filtration;

[0049] i) To provide a filter that can position a chemical absorbentmedium such as pillows inside of a curb inlet for the removal of suchpollutants as hydrocarbons;

[0050] j) To provide a filter that can serve as either a permanent orshort term Storm Water Prevention Plan (SWPP) measure;

[0051] k) To provide a filter, that has a bypass enabling storm water toflow downstream in the event of a filter failure, or to accommodateexcessive storm water flows.

[0052] Further objects and advantages of my invention will also becomeapparent from a consideration of the drawings and ensuing descriptions.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIGS. I.-IV.

[0053] Reference Numerals in Drawings. 2 bridge flap 4 filter rollfabric 6 sleeve 8 pillow 10 support bars 12 bypass 14 continuous roll 16bottom tie 18 separation 20 inlet basin wall 22 perforated basin cover24 filter bag assembly 26 continuous insert roll 28 inlet cover support30 staples

[0054] Fig. I best shows cut away view of the invention installed inposition within a typical rectangle inlet basin with a perforated cover.

[0055] Fig. II shows the end view of a continuous insert roll.

[0056] Fig. III shows the ridged support structure of the inventionformed to fit a round inlet basin.

[0057] Fig. IV shows a top view of a continuous roll forming a basininsert for a rectangular catch basin.

[0058] The basin insert includes a filter bag assembly 24 and supportbars 10. The assembly as well as a continuous insert roll 14 comprise abridge flap 2, a sleeve 6, and a length of filter fabric 4. To for aninsert the continuous roll 14 is cut from a filter basket assembly 24 aseparation 18. The filter fabric 4, see Fig. III, is made of a porousmaterial with hydraulic openings smaller than the pollutants intended tobe filtered from the storm water. The filter fabric is preferably madefrom a polypropylene geotextile fabric. However this filter fabric maybe made of any type of porous materials for example, cotton, burlap, orstainless, fiberglass, or aluminum mesh. The filter bag assembly hassemi vertical sides with an enclosed bottom held together by tie 26 andthe bottom tie gathering 16.

[0059] The elongated rigid support structure can be made of angle iron,flat metal strips, plastic in a similar form, or wire. In the preferredembodiment the supports are support bars. The filter bag assembly 24 isconnected to the support bars 10 by means of sleeves 6. The bar sleevesreceives the support bars. The bars stretch the sleeves across inletcover supports 28. All the filter basket sides may be equipped withsupport bars inserted into sleeves. When assembled together, the barsrest on the cover support 28. The support ledges are typically about twoinches wide. In Fig. I. and Fig. IV the support bars are 16 gagegalvanized sheet metal 1¾ inches wide and 1.2 cm (½ inch) shorter thanthe length of the ledge on which they rest. The rods rest flat on theinlet cover support 28 underneath the perforated cover 22 when the coveris in place. The length of the bars exceeds the distance between thewalls lying perpendicular to the bars already in place. In rectangularbasins where there are support ledges on only two sides of the basin,two bars span between the ledges. Each bar supports opposite ends of theinsert extending onto each of the two ledges. Where the bars requireextra strength to span across the basin, they are made of one 2 inch 20gage galvanized angle iron. The angle iron is notched out back 5 cm (2″)on each end in order to be able to rest flat on top of the two parallelledges. This angle iron also holds the alternate bars in place byhanging between the rods. The ends are placed on the ledges and in acorner of the basin. A bridge flap 2 on the continuous insert roll 14channels water over to the inside of the bag assembly 24 and onto thepillow 8. A semi horizontal slant of the bridge is maintained by joiningadjacent corners of the flap within the bag assembly. The flaps arejoined by using six 8 cm (⅜ths inch) galvanized staples in each corner.A pillow 8 is positioned by the bag assembly to absorb pollutants suchas hydrocarbons. It can be made of many different kinds of hydrocarbonabsorbent materials.

[0060] In the round inlet basin design shown in Fig. III the support barconsists of one piece of 14 gage 50-52-aluminum sheet metal. This isessentially resistant to both wear and corrosion. The perimeter of thesupport structure is circular in formation and typically sized 5 cm.(2″) less in diameter than the rim of the inlet opening. The bar isdisconnected at a separation 18. The bridge flap is attached to itselfto maintain an essentially horizontal position channeling water toinside the bag assembly. Vertical bypass openings 12 are cut into theupper section of the bag assembly 24 underneath the bridge flap 2. Asemi horizontal slant of the bridge is maintained by joining adjacentpieces of the flap within the bag assembly. The flaps are joined byusing six 8 cm (⅜ths inch) galvanized staples. The filter bag assemblyhas semi vertical sides with an enclosed bottom and the bottom tiegathering 16 is held together by tie 26 consisting of a plastic ziplock. A pillow 8, is positioned by the bag assembly to absorb pollutantssuch as hydrocarbons. It can be made of many different kinds ofhydrocarbon absorbent materials.

[0061] From the description above a number of advantages of my inventionare apparent.

[0062] a) The parts are simple in design and inexpensive to fabricate.

[0063] b) All of the parts including the bag assembly are simple indesign and are easily sized in the field on site to fit to the manyvaried sizes and types of inlet basins required.

[0064] c) In the design for rectangle basin inlets, shown in Fig. I andFig. IV, the parts are not rigidly attached to each other. This allowssome movement without serious damage if forced by movement of the heavyperforated cover during service. The round filter shown in Fig. III cantypically slide one inch under such conditions and thus avoid seriousdamage to the support structure.

[0065] d) In the design for rectangle basin inlets, shown in Fig. I andFig. IV, the support structures parts are not rigidly attached to eachother. This allows adaptability for most angle distortions found inrectangle inlet basins in the field.

[0066] e) There are no moving parts that can easily wear out, orotherwise malfunction.

[0067] f) The support structure consists of light sheet metal that canbe easily hand cut to length at the point of installation whennecessary.

[0068] g) The filter simply rests on the basin cover's ledge and thereis no need to alter the basin to install the apparatus.

[0069] h) The thickness of the filter apparatus which rests on the ledgeunderneath the perforated cover will raise the level of the cover lessthan 5 mm. ({fraction (3/16)} inch) which will not be a hazard totraffic or street maintenance equipment.

[0070] i) The means of attaching the bag assembly to the supportstructure is sturdy yet allows the bag assembly to be easily replacedwhen necessary.

OPERATION OF MY INVENTION FIGS I TO IV

[0071] My invention removes and retains storm water pollutants within astorm water inlet basin 20. Storm water flows from the street throughthe perforated cover 22. Then it flows across a support bar 10 insertedin its sleeve 6, then across the bridge flap 2. The storm water thenflows into the filter bag assembly 24. The assembly's filter materialpermits storm water to flow through the filter bag assemble and into thebasin chamber while retaining pollutants within the bags' cavity. Thefilter's support structure comprises support bars. The support bars restbelow the perforated cover on the inlet cover support 28. The barsstretch the sleeve 6 along the cover support 28. The bridge flap 2conveys water from the upper periphery of the inlet basin adjacentopening rim of the inlet basin 20 into the central inside of the filterassembly 24. The bars bear the weight of the filter bag assembly 24while preventing the deformation of the bag. In a rectangular inletbasin as shown in Fig. I., the support rods are longer than the basinopening directly below the cover ledge. The bars form angles at 90degrees in the corners. The ends of the support bars extend onto theopposite two ledges of the basin. This extended length prevents the barsfrom slipping past the cover support and further down into the lowerbasin chamber. The bridge flap 2 covers the bypass openings 12, at thecorners of the basin insert. The bridge flap conveys water from theadjacent inlet basin's periphery opening into inside the filter basket.In normal conditions, this prevents the storm water from prematurelydropping through the bypass openings 12 without dropping on top of thepillow. The filter insert is often used for positioning a hydrocarbonabsorbent pillow 8 on the bottom of the basket. The bypass openings 12are vertical narrow slits in the filter fabric 4 of the filter basketopening. The bypasses allow excess high water to overflow out into thecorners of the basin walls 20. When a flexible filter bag hangs fromfour sides of a rectangular basin the bag naturally tends to form acircular formation. The largest space between the bag and the basinsides is in the corners. The bypass openings are therefore located inthe corners. In the event of filter failure, or during high water flows,it is necessary for water to escape unhindered out the bypass channels.Otherwise the water would back up into the street or parking lot andcause a traffic hazard. The Pillow 8 is essentially flat. It isnecessary that the pillow does not escape with the water out the bypass.Therefore the bypass openings are formed by vertical slits.

[0072] The present invention is convenient to install. To install arectangular insert, first measure the inside width and length of thebasin opening. Then cut a length of continuous roll equal to twice thistotal measurement. Attach the two ends together forming a continuousloop. Leave the upper end of this attachment open to form a bypass. Thencut the three remaining corners of the filter basket through the sleevesand into the filter material as far as the width of the flap reaches.This opens the sleeves to receive the bars and at the same time cutsopen the bypass openings. To form a closed bottom of the filter bagassembly 24, gather up the bottom edge of the filter fabric 4 into abunch and tie it together with a slip tie 26. This forms the bottom tiegathering 16. Insert the four bars into the four sleeves. Next removethe perforated basin cover 22. Clean off the inlet cover supports 28 anddrop the apparatus onto them. Lay each bar, inserted inside its sleeve,onto the inlet cover supports 28 in the inlet basin 20. Where there areonly two parallel cover support ledges, instead of one continuous ledge,use flat support bars on these ledges. On the remaining two sides, useangle iron with the notched ears. Place them so that the ears rest inthe corners on the first two bars. Place the lower half of this angleiron so that it hangs between the two bars. Let the gathering drop intothe basin and place the pillow inside the filter basket. Next attach thecorners of the flap together with staples 30. Now replace the basincover 22. To remove the invention, merely lift the apparatus from theopened catch basin.

[0073] Installing the round design shown in Fig. II is also convenient.Beginning at the separation, insert the flat circular rod into one endof the sleeve 6 on the continuous insert roll. Slide the sleeve arounduntil it meets the roll again and cut it off. Attach the bottom of thetwo ends leaving the upper portion of this attachment open to form abypass opening 12. Cut three more bypass openings in the upper portionof the filter basket. To close the bottom of the filter basket, gatherup the bottom edge of the filter fabric and tie it together in a bunch.This forms the tie gathering 16. Attach the bridge flap to itselfforming a horizontal inclined angle. Next open the catch basin. Cleanoff the inlet cover supports 28 and drop the apparatus onto them. Dropthe pillow 8 inside and replace the perforated basin cover 22. To removethe invention, merely lift the apparatus from the opened catch basin.

[0074] Emptying the basin insert is also convenient. It can be eithervacuumed or pulled out and emptied by hand.

[0075] Although the description above contains many specifications,these should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention butas merely providing illustrations of some of the presently preferredembodiments of this invention. Thus the scope of the invention should bedetermined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents, ratherthan by the examples given.

1. I claim an insert a) located within a storm water inlet basin b) witha perforated cover c) that rests on a support within the top opening ofsaid inlet basin d) with a filter bag assembly located beneath the covere) with a support means to hold said catch basin insert in positionwithin the inlet basin, f) with a filter bypass comprising an openingformed in said filter bag assembly whereby said opening provides achannel for excess water to escape out of the basket assembly throughsaid opening. g) the improvement characterized in that the bypassopenings are essentially located in the corners of the catch basinwhereby the water will flow out of the bag assembly at the locationswithin the inlet basin where there is the most available space betweensaid filter basket assembly and the inlet basin. 2 The bypass opening ofclaim 1 further comprises a narrow vertical slit that releases waterthrough the opening but prevents an escape of a pillow from the interiorof the bag assembly. 3 The basin insert of claim 1 further includes acontinuous role comprising a filter fabric from which said filter fabricseparates and which can form into the basket assembly on site at thelocation of the inlet basin, and a tie that closes the bottom of thebasket assembly holding it together in a bottom tie gathering.
 4. Thefilter basket of claim 1 further includes permeable fabric, wherebypollutants are filtered from storm water whereby the bag assembly iseasily formed and cut.
 5. I claim a basin insert, h) located within astorm water inlet basin, i) with a perforated cover, j) with a filterbasket assembly located beneath the cover, k) that hangs on a rigidsupport to hold the assembly in position within the inlet basin, l) theinvention wherein a majority of the basin insert is manufactured in acontinuous roll and separates from said continuous role and saidcontinuous roll comprises filter fabric for multiple inserts that can beformed, at the location of said inlet basin, into a basin insertcomprising a filter basket with semi vertical sides and a bottom closedwith a tie.
 6. Said continuous roll of claim 5 further comprises asleeve formed into the length of the rolled fabric where by the basininsert easily attaches to a rigid elongated support structure.
 7. Thetie of claim 5 further includes a plastic zip lock that securely holdsthe assembly bottom tie gathering.
 8. Said continuous roll of claim 5further comprises a bridge flap that is positioned in the insert toessentially conduct water from essentially all of the upper periphery ofthe inlet basin to the central inside of the basket assembly.
 9. Thebasket assembly of claim 5 further comprises one or more bypass openingsthat form a vertical narrow slit in said filter fabric that preventslarge pieces of material including an absorbent pillow are from escapingthrough said bypass opening.
 10. Said filter bypasses of claim 9 furthercomprise locations essentially positioned only in corners of a rectanglecatch basin where the maximum room for water flow, between the filterbasket and the basin, is located.
 11. I claim in a basin insert a)located within a storm water inlet basin, b) with a perforated cover, c)that rests on a support within the top opening of said inlet basin, d)with a filter bag assembly located beneath the cover, e) the inventioncomprising the combination of a support means that positions the insertwithin the basin using elongated semi rigid material located on three ormore sides of the basin and one or more water by passes that are locatedessentially in the corners of said inlet basin.
 12. The bag assembly ofclaim 11 further comprises a bypass means that forms a vertical slit inan upper portion of the filter basket whereby large items do not easilypass through the bypass.